Cold weekend in Clarens/Lesotho [with no passport]

[rubiblue]

Just did my first long ride after my accident, feeling rather tired and sore, but was so good to be on the bike again.

The general idea of the ride went according to plan. We left Friday morning early [6.20AM]  from a chilly Johannesburg and headed toward our breakfast stop in Villiers. We got there around [8AM] after taking the very back roads, mostly gravel, through Meyerton and hugging the Vaal Dam on the northern side. My fiance was freazing during this first leg, we have since made a list of 'to buys' for her. We continued south from Villiers (was expectin to see some other WD's, but only saw road bikers in 1Stop at Villiers) toward fronkfort and turned east toward warden using the gravel roads alongside the n3, some were really shit condition, especially when with a pillion. Near Warden we turned right toward kestell and found a beautiful gravel road that dissects the GOlden Gate park. When we reached the main GOlden Gate road we turned toward clarens - that was it for the day. My old man & step mom drove up from PE the night before towing his 800, and it was great to see them again. Then it dawned on me that Satrudays ride may be short lived as I had forgotten my passport for lesotho at home, DURR!

435kms for the day, about 40% gravel, although it felt like more...

Some pics from Friday.
































Day 2 - Saturday to follow

 

[Thump]

very nice

 

[Malibu]

Lekker pics there RB... waiting for the rest...

 

[katomic]

we saw you in fouriesburg, i think.. yellow gs800?

 

[rubiblue]

nope, its black, same colour as in the pics. - didnt go to Fouriesburg.

 

[Miles]

Hey! Rubiblue,

Nice pic's recognize lots of those places, been on part of the same route in the last two weeks.
The first few are on my cycling routes, 8)

 

[rubiblue]

Day 2 - Plans for Lesotho

So as I mentioned I had forgotten my passport at home. I chatted with my dad over dinner and we decided that we would try anyway [i recall gundagunda mentioned that no one was even at the Manantsa Border Post].

The weather looked very threathening, but my old man didnt feel pulling a bike 860kms there and back warranted sleeping in. We left just after breakfast, going from clarens, back through Golden Gate toward Phutaditjaba and then hooking a right toward the Lesotho border. We reached the border post and found that there were quite a few officials present as well as some cops. So we decided running through was probably not a great idea, instead we tried the negotiation tactic. 3 cigarettes later we were approved access, so long as we came back within a few hours through the same post. Easy enough.

After a few kilometers we came across where the recent rain storm has passed in the manner of slick, slimy mud. The top 5 centimeters of the surface was completely F!@cked. even walking on it was almost impossible. My dad was in the front, when I saw his expression when he turned his head, I knew exactly what he wanted to say, 3 seconds later he started the 180 degree turn, I followed suit - to carry on would be silly, with slicks on my bike and a recent broken collar [with a still resident plate], i completly agreed. A plastic bike would have been so much fun... and messy.

So we exited Lesotho and headed toward sterkfontein dam via gravel. Was a great ride nonetheless, found a very nice, potted tar road that ran along the dam, very winding and fast - we had a lekker dice for a few kilometers. I found it very easy to pull my dad in, by listening to his akropovic and accelarating at the same time as him and watching his tail light and braking a second later - was lots of fun.

235kms for the day - lots of twisties where we diced each other the whole time.

We swopped bikes as I wanted the see the barkbusters he had on and he wanted to see the crash basr and handle bar raisers on mine. Its amazing how different the 2 bikes were, felt like a different make of bike although they were exactly the same. Odd, but entertaining.

Here are some pics...





















Day 3 - Home to follow

 

[wolweseun]

Nice

Good to see you back in action again  :thumleft:

 

[charlw]

lekker like a cracker!!

 

[bmad]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing

Pity about the short lived trip in Lesotho.
Next time you go up there, when you travel through Golden Gate, you will see a sign to Heuweltop, that will take you to the Monatsa Border port too, very nice tough road  :thumleft:

 

[roxenz]

Great pix, rubiblue!  Pity 'bout Lesotho (of ek skop jou vannie bed af), but any ride's a good ride.

 

[Camelman]

Flippen nice pics! Good to see your shoulder is in working order!  :thumleft:

 

[rubiblue]

Day 3 - Back Home

We planned to leave Clarens about 8.30 directly after breakfast. The plan didn't work out, as we were about to mount the trusty stead, I noticed the rear wheel was flat - F@&k!.

So after pumping it up to try see how bad the leak was, i found a nice gash in the rubber, again, F@&k!

My dad and me tried to quickly take the tube out, oops, we decided to quickly take the tire to the local garage in his car, much quicker. I found out that the tube i had as spare was too smal, not in terms of ", but i think it was for a front, probably could have worked, but instead stole my Dad's spare to be sure. Within a short while we were ready to go.

The trip back was quite quick, my ass started to hurt after the few days of riding so I really just wanted to get home after we had finished all the gravel (about 50% in total, some really nice roads, one shocker). Did some culture touring in the last 100kms through a township or 2 and eldorado park, etc.

Not many pics, sorry, was focusing on mind numbing my anti-iron butt.

375kms for the day, about 50% gravel.




Total for the Trip - 1050kms,3 days, 2 peeps, 1 flat, 1 sore bum, so much fun.... glad to back in the saddle. Next plan is dullstroom for a weekend soon.

 

[Misty]

Nice RR rubiblue Glad you had a good first trip after you all healed  :thumleft:

 

[TVB]

Nice seeing father and son on a trip!  :thumleft:

 

[Gee eS]

Lekker trip.